Method of applying binding materials



y 6, 1 938. D. c. DRILL ET AL 2,1245758 METHOD OF APPLYING BINDING MATERIALS Filed July 5,- 1935 s awn- ""5 Odfl/F/ a 0r/7/ \4 ChafiavL-Whficaock Jesse Gre ary INVENTORS'.

I BY b ATTORNEYS. u

Patented July 26, 1938 i Q 7 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF APPLYING BINDING MATERIALS Daniel 0. Drill and Charles L. Whitenack, Wa-

bash, Ind., and Jesse B. Gregory, Wheaten, 111., assignors to American Rock Wool Corporation, Wabash County, Ind.

Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,942

13 Claims. (Cl. 49-715) Our invention generally relates to methods of method is that the binding material is not atapplying binding materials in the production of omized before it falls upon the blast, and confelted mineral wool strips, blankets, and batts, sequently falls upon only one portion of the blast hereinafter, for convenience termed batts." in such a manner that it does not become evenly In order that 'a more perfect understanding distributed on the forming fibers. 5 of our invention may be had, a brief description Heretofore, numerous other methods have been of the methods usually followed in manufacturing devised to achieve the even distribution necessary mineral wool batts will be given. to the proper production of mineral wool batts Mineral wool is made of wool rock, or slag, to but, insofar as applicants are aware, all of these which a special fusing rock may be added. The methods leave much to be desired. i 10 raw material is mixed with coke in a cupola The chief object of our invention is to provide or furnace and heated to a temperature of (say, methods whereby any suitable binding material approximately FJ t W h t material may be evenly distributed on the surfaces of the becomes molten and is permitted to pour out in individual fibers before they become deposited 15 a continuous stream of approximately one-half on th base of the settling chamber. 15 inch in meter. is st ea s Subjected o a Another object is to provide a method whereby blast of steam of suflicient power to shred the tw r more fluids may be so applied that a molten material into fibers. The blast is directed mm or coating of binding material will be evenint a adja t bl w am r Which s p ly precipitated, formedor deposited on thesura y provided w a mov e b or co veyo face of each individual fiber before it is in- 20 The length of the settling chamber is sufficient corporated into the batt.

to p t e blast to leavelthe fibers in p A still further object is the provision of methsion, sw lin in t e h t ap a as of ods whereby the binding materials may be disthe chambe above e co charged into the settling chamber under ideal T s fi rs a in nt y ta y a d ap dly conditions for distribution on the mineral wool combine in myriads of loose, fluffy bunches which fibers. f w y e e e moving b of e conveyor A further object is the provision of a method o eco e incorporated w t e forming ba t. whereby both the temperature and the rate of W e t fib s a naturally y, y o not flow of the binding material may be controlled cling to each other sufliciently to provide a batt as desired. 30 Which y be moved about Without falling to The full nature of our invention and its other p s- Fcr t s reason, a s t binding aobjects and advantages will be understood from terial must be used. the accompanying drawing and the following Experience has taught that in order to obtain d cri tion and claims. r the desired results, the binding material must be l Th drawing is a side elevational and partly 35 mo e e y distributed upon e es o the sectional view of a cupola and a blow chamber v dua fibers, before y have had an 01 of a mineral wool plant having one of many emp ty to combine in bunches, d best p acbodime'nts of our invention operatively associated tice indicates that the binding material should therewith. v g t 40 be applied to the blast of steam and molten ma- In carrying out our invention we make use of 40 terial before it enters the settling chamber. any suitable cupola l, blast 'means 2, and a blow Th ld and m W y d m hod is chamber 3, which are operatively associated tothat of simply permitting the binding material gether for the production of mineral wool 'batts.

to drop or pour directly upon the blast before it The mineral wool is produced by melting wool enters the settling chamber. This method, howrock, or slag, in the cupola I with coke or gas and ever, has numerous disadvantages, one of them pouring the molten material in a stream 4 which being that the rate of flow of the material is not is subjected to the action of a shredding steam dependable when applied in this manner. One blast 5 which issues from a nozzle 6 of the steam reason for this is that the character of the bindblast means 2.

' ing material is such that it tends to stick to the 1 The above described apparatus for producing 50 inside walls of the pipe through which it flows the untreated mineral wool is, of course,"old-, the and almost invariably prevents the proper funcentire novelty of our invention residing in'our tioning of any valves which may beused to reguimproved ways whereby the mineral wool is late and control its flow. treated with a binder or stiffening material to 56 'Another disadvantage found in using-thi provide a satisfactory batt.

In adapting this apparatus to serve the purposes of our invention the stack I of the cupola able valve means l6 and I1 whereby the flow of gases through these conduits may be controlled. Below these valves the conduits Ill and Ii are respectively coupled to steam conduits I8 and I! which are provided with any suitable valves Y211 and 2|. Each of these steam conduits is connected to a steam supply pipe 22 through which 7 the steam is provided for the blast means 2.

The conduits i and II are respectively connected to binding material pipe lines 23 and 24.

The pipe line 23 and the pipe line 24 are connected to the exhaust ports of preferably rotary pumps 25 and 26. Each of these pumps may be driven in any suitable manner but are preferably coupled to some suitable variable speed transmission means (not shown). The exhaust port of the pump 25 is operatively connected to a fluid supply tank 21 by a fluid intake pipe 28. The pump 26 is similarly connected to a tank 29 by an intake pipe 30.

The conduit II is preferably provided (for a purpose hereinafter described) with a second binding material supply pipe 23'. This pipe line is operatively connected to a pump and reservoir supply tank (not shown) which may be similar in construction to the pump 25 and the reservoir 21.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the apparatus embodying our invention, it is apparent that two chemically mutually reactive liquid substances may be simultaneously discharged into the blow chamber 3 upon the blast and that the apparatus may be adapted to make use of any number of other liquids by merely operatively connecting other pumps and other sources of fluid supply to the conduits i0 and II. It is also apparent that two different liquids may be simultaneously discharged into the conduit ll, mixed together by the blower l3, and

. thereafter discharged to the settling chamber 3.

- There are available for use numerous chemically mutually reactive substances which, if mixed together, would chemically combine to produce a suitable binder for a mineral wool batt, except for the fact that due to precipitation, polymerization or other causes, the combined material becomes hard, lumpy, granular, or otherwise unfit for even distribution on the individual mineral wool fibers. Many of these individual substances, however, may be liquefied and coated evenly upon the fiber surfaces if they are separately applied, or are mixed together and are applied before the combined material becomes unfit for use; for instance, a solution of either sodium silicate or alum may be readily distributed upon the surfaces of the mineral wool fibers, but after these two solutions are mixed and allowed to remain together, granules of silica are precipitated out of'the combined solutions which in practice canbine together to make a suitable coating of binding material which will hold the fibers together when they become deposited on the base of the blow chamber.

A binding material consisting of animal glue 2 and formaldehyde may be likewise separately applied to the mineral wool fibers. If, however, a solution of animal glue and a solution of formaldehyde are mixed together in a fluid supply container, tanning of the glue takes place and these two water-soluble solutions form a more or less water-insoluble substance which, in practice,

cannot be properly applied to the mineral wool fibers.

The apparatus herein disclosed is adapted to -make use of two methods. each of which is adapted to apply the binding materials before they become unfit for being evenly spread upon solvents, or by heat. If they are to be liquefied by the application of heat, some means must be provided for keeping them at the proper temperature. For this purpose, either one of the tanks may be provided with any suitable heating coil means (not shown).

The liquid substance A is drawn through the pump 25 and forcibly discharged into the conduit II. The liquid substance B? is forced through the pump 26 and the pipe line 24 and is discharged into the conduit l0. These conduits, by construction, are adapted to be supplied either with steam from the supply pipe 22, or with the products of combustion from the cupola stack 1,

' or both.

and atomize the substances in the steam, or the products of combustion, or in the combined mixture of the two. One of the blowers is preferably placed in front of the other of the blowers, in order that one of the substances may be first applied to the forming fibersin the blast.

The second method takes advantage of the fact that in certain instances, and under certain conditions, some of the substances do not harden, granulate or otherwise become unfit for application to the surfaces of the mineral wool fibers immediately after the substances are mixed together. tages, one of which is that, in using this method, the two substances are thoroughly mixed together in the blower. In applying this method, one of the substances may be discharged into the conduit il through the pipe line 23, and the other of the substances may be discharged into the conduit ll through the pipe line 23' which is operatively connected to a before-mentioned pump and a supply tank (not shown). In this case, of

course, the substances are mixed by the blower l2 and are immediately thereafter discharged upon the forming fibers in the blast 5.

It will be understood, of course, that whether the substances are mixed before or after application, the heated products of combustion and the steam may be advantageously mixed with the binding material substances before they pass The second method has certain advan-' must be such that it can be liquefied by suitable through the blowers, as these substances atomize more readily when they are first mixed in a wetheated gas. The steam also prevents the cementitious substances from drying in the hot'products of combustion, and to a certain extent, prevents their adhering to the conduits Ill and II and the blowers l2 and I3.

The steam blast 5 carrying the molten shredded material and the atomized binding material, if desired, may be shielded by a tubular guide means 33 which preferably extends substantially as shown into the blow chamber 3. This guide means not only restricts the admission of cool air into the blow chamber, but protects the operator from any molten particles which might otherwise strike and rebound from the ma. wall 34 of the blow chamber 3.

It will be observed, by referring to the accompanying drawing, that the pressure gauges 3| and 32 are placed immediately above the blowers l2 and is, where they can be-readily observed by the cupola operator. These gauges'indicate the amount of the steam or heated gas which is being mixed with the binding materials.

The rate of flow of the binding material substances is, of course, proportional to the speed of the pumps which may be ascertained in any suitable manner such as, for instance. by noting the position of the control means on the variable speed transmission (not shown) which is old in the art and requires no detailed description.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous resultsare attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above description without deviating from the scope of our invention, it is intended that all matter incorporated ir theabove description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative, andnot in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. The herein described method of applying a binder made of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances to mineral wool fibers in the production of mineral wool batts, said method comprising forcibly moving a fluid stream of each of said substances of which the binder is made intothe presence of a heated gas or vapor, intimately mixing each of said substances with said gas or vapor, and immediately'thereafter discharging said substances upon a stream of mineral wool fibers.

2. The herein described method of applying a bindermade of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances to mineral fibers in the production of mineral wool batts, said method comprising forcibly moving a fluid stream of each of said substances of which the binder is made and separately mixing each of said substances with heated gas or vapor, and immediately thereafter discharging the mixture upon a stream of mineral wool fibers.

3. The herein described method of applying a binder made of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances to mineral wool fibers in the production of mineral wool batts, said method comprising forcibly moving a fluid stream of each of said substances of which the binder is made, and intimately mixing the substances in each of said streams with each of the other of said substances in the presence of heated gases atomized substances upon the forming mineral wool fibers. v4. The herein described method of applyin a binder made of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances to mineral wool fibers;

in the production 01' mineral wool batts, said method comprising forcibly moving a fiuid stream of each of said substances of which the binder.

is made, into the presence of heated gaseous products of combustion and mixing said subcombustion and mixing said substances with each other and with said gaseous products of combustion, and immediately thereafter discharging the mixture upon a stream of mineral wool fibers.

6,. The herein described method of applying a binder in the production of mineral wool batts, which binder is formed of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances, said method comprising separately pumping and discharging said substances into a single stream of heated vapor or gas, mechanically mixing said substancesintiniately with each other and with said heated vapor or gas, and immediately thereafter forcibly discharging said mixture upon a blast of mineral wool fibers.

7. The herein described method of applying a binder in the production of mineral wool batts, which binder is formed of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances, said method comprising separately pumping in a fiuid form, each of said substances, separately mixing each of said substances intimately with heated vapor or gas, and immediately thereafter discharging each of the mixtures separately upon a blast of mingral wool fibers.

8. The herein described method of applying a minderal wool binder which is made of a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substances, said method comprising moving a stream of each of heated gas or vapor to utilize the gas or vapor as a carrying agent and immediately thereafter discharging the substance laden gas or vapor upon the mineral fibers.

9. The method of applying a binder to mineral wool fibers comprising separately and successively discharging a plurality of mutually chemically reactive substancesin an uncombined state upon 'a stream of highlyheated mineral wool fibers to produce, when said substances are mingled together on the fibers, a binder therefor.

10. The method of applying a binder to mineral wool fibers comprising separately and successively discharging a plurality of chemically mutually reactive substances upon a stream of mineral wool fibers formed by a blast of gas on a stream of lava, said substances chemically mutually reacting with each other to produce a binderfor said fibers.

11. The method of applying a binder for mineral wool fibers formed by a blast of gas or steam on a stream of lava and directed into a chamber which consists in separately and successively discharging chemically mutually reactive substances tothe stream of fibers prior to the entry of the fibers into the chamber to produce a binder for said fibers.

- 12. Themethod'of applying a binder to mineral wool fibers formed by a blast of gas or steam on a stream of lava and directed into a chamber which consists in separately and successively discharging chemically mutually reactive substances on the stream of fibers prior to the entry of the fibers into the chamber to produce a binder for said fibers, one of said substances being mixed with a heated gas prior to discharging said substances on said stream of fibers.

13. The method of applying a binder to mineral wool fibers formed by a blast of gas or steam DANIEL C. DRILL. CHARLES L. WHITENACK. JE SSE H. GREGORY. 

